1. BY IINVITING TELUGU DESAM SUPREMO, RAHUL GAVE A JOLT TO TELANGANA RASTRA SAMITI. THE TRS SUPREMO ALREADY PRESSED PANIC BUTTON, HE MAY CONTACT THE CONGRESS FIRST IF THE CONGRESS PARTY IS INVITED TO FORM THE GOVERNMENT. 2. NITISH KUMAR MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WILL NOT SUPPORT MODI AS PM. THE EXCUSE OF MODITHVA , HE MAY CROSS OVER TO SUPPORT THE CONGRESS. THE LAMP OF BIHAR AND ITS PARTNER MAY SEPARATELY AND SECRETLY CONTACT THE CONGRESS CAMP. 3. MR. LATEST FROM ORRISA IS SITTING ON THE FENCE. 4. MR. SON SAINT FROM KARNATAKA IS AIMING TO BE CABINET MINISTER, IRRESPECTIVE OF PARTY FORMING THE GOVERNMENT. 5. AMMA MAY ADOPT ANY PARTY. 6. BSP IS FLEXIBLE 7. LEFT CAN NOT SIDE WITH B J P NOR IT CAN SUPPORT IT FROM OUT SIDE. 8. WORRYING POINT FOR CONGRESS IS ANDHRA PRADESH - MAY BE THE TRS AND PRAJARAJYAM ARE TWO POSSIBLE ALLIES . 9. THE DERA FACTOR HELP THE CONGRESS IN PUNJAB. 10. GUJARATH ---- ??????????????????????????????????/ Rahul works to a plan to look for new allies (FROM THE TELEGRAPH) |
| RASHEED KIDWAI |
New Delhi, May 6: Rahul Gandhi's praise of Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu was not off the cuff but part of a four-month-old process designed to hunt for new allies, Congress sources said today. The young MP is working on wooing new friends to form a government if the Congress emerges as the single largest party but, the sources added, this does not mean existing partners like Mamata Banerjee will be dumped. "We will not take even a single step forward to subvert the agreement with the Trinamul Congress," spokesperson M. Veerappa Moily said, a day after Rahul told reporters he was confident of Left support. The sources said Rahul's associates have been in touch with those close to Nitish, Naidu and some other NDA and third front constituents. A former bureaucrat who is now a Rajya Sabha MP is said to be playing a pivotal role in bringing the Congress and the Janata Dal (United) close. Rahul, who has emerged as the Congress's key strategist, is at the same time working on a back-up plan that will come into play if the party fails to get the numbers to form the government. Plan B revolves around the AICC general secretary's vision of "ekla chalo" and revival of the party in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, other Hindi heartland states and Bengal. Rahul got in touch with party leaders today to explain that his remarks about finding new allies and counting on the Left's support did not imply betraying existing allies. Accordingly, Mamata has been told the leadership values the alliance and she is a "precious ally". ( ) Another general secretary, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said the party was not considering changing allies in Tamil Nadu. Speculation that the DMK would be dumped for the ADMK post-poll gained momentum when Sonia Gandhi today called off her tour of the state. Sources said Sonia cancelled the trip because she would not be able to meet DMK chief M. Karunanidhi. The two were to share the platform at a rally, but Karunanidhi is in hospital. The Special Protection Group overruled Sonia's wish to visit him. Referring to Rahul's comments yesterday, Congress leaders said the Amethi MP waited for polling to end in Andhra Pradesh and the bulk of seats in Bihar before making the overtures in public. The sources said "the unilateral decision" by Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan to leave only a few seats to the Congress forced the party's hand. The party is also eyeing the ADMK and the BJD but will wait for the results. Congress leaders said the party would try to reach the majority mark of 272 without the Left parties but, if it could not, would attempt to accommodate their concerns in the common minimum programme without compromising on the Prime Minister or the nuclear deal. |
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Fwd: RAHUL GANDHI MEDIA CONFERENCE - PART II
MASTER STROKE
